Centre for parleys with states on education law

Government today said it will hold consultations with states to evolve a policy on how to give relaxation to 'marginalised' schools that may close down in view of tough registration conditions under new law.

HRD Minister Kapil Sibal told a press conference that there are a number of issues on which consultations are required with the states for implementing the Right To Education Act.

The Act says that "no school, other than a school established, owned or controlled by appropriate government or the local authority, shall, after the commencement of this Act, be established or function, without obtaining a certificate of recognition from such authority, by making an application in form and manner, as may be prescribed".

It provides for a number of conditions like all-weather building and playground facilities to make a school eligible for registration.

The Act is silent on fee structure and teachers' pay. However, states like Delhi have separate laws, which say that registration would be given to those schools which would implement government pay scale for teachers.

Under these circumstances, certain schools, whose economic condition is not good but they impart quality education, may be closed down.

"Schools should not be closed because of their poor economic conditions," Sibal said